It has never been more important to find calm amongst all the chaos that this year has brought.
As you may or may not know by now, The Aruem was born out of a desire to encourage us (yes, myself included) to take a moment out of our busy, chaotic lives to practice mindfulness and look within. In order to show up and fully serve others through whatever commitments and responsibilities we all have, we must nourish and fill our cup first.
So as a reminder to myself as well, here are three ways to create calm when the busyness of everyday life threatens to get the best of us.
SPACE
We all know that physical surroundings can have a profound effect on mood.
As someone who struggles with anxiety, I believe that having a calm space in your home - a sanctuary, if you will - is a vital factor to your daily self-care ritual.
It doesn’t have to be a massive space, or the spa-equivalent of a room. For most of us, our calm space is our bedroom, but in fact, even a reading corner in the house would suffice, just as long as it’s a space where you can have some quiet time - somewhere you can feel comfortable in and regain your balance after a hectic day.
As fans of Marie Kondo would agree, decluttering is the answer to create peace and lightness in your home. While it’s not realistic to have a mess-free house all the time (especially if you have active children like mine), you can allow some areas to be a little messier than others, whilst keeping your quiet space as simple and clutter-free as possible.
Avoid high contrasting patterns in the décor, which can lead to overstimulation and leave you feeling dazed and overwhelmed. When it comes to colours, opt for neutral tones and soft muted colours in this space, as these shades have long been associated with positive emotions and a sense of general wellbeing.
SOUND
I don’t know about you, but I have a playlist for just about everything – whether it’s work, exercise, or even ironing (Yep, you read that right. Silly, I know, but it’s proven to be entertaining at the very least).
For me, music goes hand-in-hand with my current mood and I know I’m not alone in this. Various studies have shown that nature sounds and soft, instrumental music can reduce our body’s natural fight-or-flight instinct, while contemporary and upbeat music promotes movement and energy.
These days there are numerous soothing playlists available to choose from to help in times of stress or when you are feeling particularly frazzled.
If you haven’t yet, try searching for a few and have a listen - does the relaxing music help you as much as it helps me?
For your convenience, I have also compiled a few of my favourites in The Aruem’s Sounds of Calm playlist, which you can find here.
SCENT
And finally, scent can play such a significant part in helping us unwind after a hectic day, which is why it should be included in our daily self-care ritual.
Our sense of smell is one of the most powerful senses we possess, as there is a direct link in our brains between smell and memory. The olfactory bulb - a part of the brain’s limbic system, which is closely associated with memory, is the reason why some scents can take us back to a particular moment or trigger certain emotions without us realising at times.
Calming essential oils such as lavender, vetiver, geranium and roman chamomile can be highly beneficial when you are feeling anxious, restless or overwhelmed. You can either place a few drops in a diffuser, or wear it on your skin.*
Jasmine is also a great option for times of stress and high anxiety. Not only does it smell beautiful but research shows jasmine improves sleep quality whilst also increasing daytime alertness, which is the reason why we chose to include this precious oil in Solandis. A number of studies even demonstrated that Jasmine is able to lower anxiety more effectively than lavender.
Based on this knowledge and the wellness principles of aromatherapy, The Aruem’s scents have been formulated with pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils that promote positivity and calm. Each scent note in our perfumes has been well thought-out and designed not only to complement each other, but they have also been selected for their grounding or uplifting qualities.
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